


What Gawain Thinks of Arthur

by likethenight



Category: King Arthur (2004)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:06:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2832581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likethenight/pseuds/likethenight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Does what it says on the tin. (or, it took Gawain a while to get used to Arthur)</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Gawain Thinks of Arthur

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sasha_b](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sasha_b/gifts).



> This was written in response to a prompt from sasha-b on the kingarthurfanfiction yahoo group, some considerable time ago. I never did come up with a decent title for it.

Gawain had been expecting someone older. The whole way from Sarmatia, across the miles and the heaving ocean, he had built up in his mind a picture of their commanding officer-to-be, a grizzled old Roman with years of campaigning under his belt, hard and unsympathetic and with no concern for the welfare of the men and boys under his command, stranded so far from the land of their birth.

It had taken him fully five minutes to realise that the young man in the red cloak, no more than five years older than himself, who spoke to the bedraggled band of new recruits in the courtyard of the fortress, was in fact that 'grizzled old Roman'. 

It took him a while longer to get used to taking orders from Arthur. Gawain was quite a headstrong boy, underneath his calm exterior, not used to much in the way of authority and certainly not from someone only a scant few years older than himself. But slowly, Arthur's strength of character began to make an impression on the rather sulky Sarmatian; it became clear that this Roman did indeed have concern and sympathy for his soldiers, and that he always tried his best to ensure that they fared as well as possible.

And gradually, as the years crawled by, Gawain came to trust Arthur, and his decisions; came to trust him with his very life, though so many of his brothers-in-arms died on their missions. He saw, through the bitterness of loss, that Arthur always tried to minimise their losses, used his tactical knowledge to gain the advantage over the enemy; and that he always, always mourned every loss as if the men who had died had been his own blood-brothers, always prayed for their souls for hours into the night.

The praying was one thing that puzzled Gawain. He had always been the sort of man who communicated with his gods during the course of his day, a nod in the direction of the moon when she appeared, a word or two to the Horse Mother when he saddled up and rode out on a mission or a patrol. He didn't quite understand the need Arthur seemed to feel to spend half his time kneeling in the fort's small chapel, hands clasped and head bowed. And the doctrines of this strange religion, one god but a son of that god as well, peace and love...Gawain didn't understand how one god could cover all the aspects of life that needed looking after, and he certainly didn't understand the peace thing. But he had to admit that Arthur's beliefs made him a better leader, stronger rather than weaker, despite all the forgiveness and compassion.

By the time the Saxons came, Gawain would have followed Arthur to the ends of the earth, as would the rest of their diminished band. Every last one of them followed him into battle without question, at the end, though it cost more than one of them his life; it was the life, and the death, they had been living for so long. It was right; a good death, in battle, for their brothers and for their newfound people - and for their commander. 

There was never any question of Gawain returning to Sarmatia, once it was all over. He was Arthur's knight and with Arthur he would stay until the end of his days, building and defending a new kingdom that was more his home now than Sarmatia ever could be again.


End file.
